The Coleman Cobra 2 was my first solo backpacking tent. I say solo, because like most "2 man" tents you'd have to be pretty lithe and have left your gear at home to get two of you in there and have anything resembling a comfortable night's sleep. At 6'3" with broad shoulders, this is definitely a "solo" tent as far as I'm concerned.
As a man who doesn't buy anything without first reading up on the potential purchase, I knew reviews were very favorable for the Cobra 2, although its not without its downsides- we'll come to those later.
So lets start with the good points. The biggest thing the Cobra has going for it, in my view, is its internal length; at 257cm it trounces the competition, offering a good foot of extra length over many of its rivals. That it does this while still keeping the weight to a minimum (2.05kg according to Coleman, although it tipped my scales a little higher than that) is fantastic.
The tent's two "wings" give sizable porch/storage areas, with a second internal door making the opposing side accessible, and the tent can be pitched as-one (Coleman state it pitches fly first).
The supplied storage bag opens along its length rather than at one end, making the tent very easy to pack away, although this does leave it more susceptible to water ingress if you're caught in a shower (despite the flappy bit of fabric designed to cover the opening when the bag is closed).
The tent is a very stable design, which in my experience so far has stood up fine to the wind and rain, and I've always felt quite secure bedding down for the night inside.
Now for the bad points. Well, for starters its blue, and this coupled with the fact that the winged design gives the tent a very large footprint (compared to its contemporaries) means you're going to stand out like a sore thumb when pitched up on a hillside. Not ideal for a bit of discreet wild camping.
The inner seems to sit very close to the fly in places, which although hasn't created any issues so far, it does raise concerns that the two may end up touching, particularly in high winds.
The worst part though, is Coleman's rather thoughtful move of declining to provide any proper instructions. Now, I'm a bloke, and blokes don't read instructions. It's a small tent, how hard can it be?
And this is the thing. For all the times this tent has been pitched, I've never once felt satisfied that its up 100% correctly. Depending how you choose to peg it out, you either seem to have too many pegs or not enough. Once the tent is pitched, the tension on the fabric at the master pole is such that the outer door is almost impossible to zip shut from the inside. Looking at online videos doesn't seem to offer any further help, and a phone call to Coleman led to me being given the mobile phone number of their "technical expert", who neither answers his phone nor replies to voicemails. Minus one point to Coleman.
Now I'm happy to accept that I'm a complete idiot here- that its just me who can't figure it out. All I'm saying is a simple set of instructions wouldn't go amiss, and that of all my tents this is the only one where I feel I actually need to use them.
When compared to what appears to be the Cobra 2's main rival, the Vango Banshee 200, the Coleman is lighter, larger inside and cheaper, so it certainly has a lot riding in its favour, but I have to say that in terms of build quality/execution of the design* the Banshee seems to have the edge, not to mention its greater ability to blend in with the surroundings. For the taller man like myself, though, that extra length makes it worth putting up with the minor niggles, and when taking everything into consideration its impossible not to recommend it.
2021 UPDATE: For those who have asked for alternatives in the comments section, check out the Naturehike Mongar 2 (or see my full review here). The Mongar 2 is a capacious, true two-person tent yet it weighs in at around the same as the Cobra 2. While shorter in length than the Cobra 2, the near-vertical walls of the Mongar 2 mean you can comfortably use the whole length of the tent without feeling cramped, even for the taller person like myself. It's also much easier to pitch!
Coleman Cobra 2
*In my view the Cobra's design, in concept at least, is better than the Banshee's, but it feels like the "beta version"- the first draft if you like- where as the Banshee feels a lot more "perfected". Its not one thing in particular, maybe a combination of small details, that give the Banshee a more refined feel over the Cobra.
